Farmers plant 90% of new forests

FARMERS are now responsible for more than 90% of new planting, Forestry Minister Mary Wallace revealed when she presented the Irish Forestry Awards at Castletown House, Celbridge, Co Kildare.

The awards, sponsored by the Forestry Service of her department and the RDS, reward farmers who are employing basic principles of sustainable forest management on their properties as well as sound commercial management, environmental protection, bio-diversity and social amenity.

Ms Wallace said the afforestation programme today is being driven by farm forestry.